Migrating existing domain into WP blog

  • Unknown's avatar
    tophatindexer · Member ·

    My scenario: I’ve been with HostPapa for the better part of a decade, and I triggered my domain through them, which also harbors my biz email (which I ferry through Gmail). I also have a WP blog harbored on WP. I want to migrate my old domain and email capabilities to WP (while also scrapping the old site), and bring my existing WP blog into the domain, but build from the design of the WP blog. How do I figure out the sequential steps in doing this without taking the blog or website offline? Thank you.

    The blog I need help with is: (visible only to logged in users)

  • kokkieh · Staff ·

    Hi there,

    First, create a new free site on WordPress.com if you don’t have an existing site you want to use:

    https://wordpress.com/start/site/

    Next export your content from the self-hosted site and import it here:

    Moving from a Self-Hosted WordPress to WordPress.com

    To connect your domain you’ll need to purchase one of our plans at My Site ->Plans, which will allow you to add the domain mapping upgrade at My Site ->Domains.

    Use a Domain You Already Own (Domain Mapping)

    After adding the mapping, hold off on updating the name servers as explained at that link. First, edit the domain’s DNS on our end to add the MX and other DNS records you need to connect your email to the domain. You can check how the DNS is currently set up with Hostpapa, or you can ask your email provider what records you need.

    General instructions for adding those records can be found here, though we also have instructions for some specific email providers:

    Add Email through other providers

    Once you’ve done that, all that’s left is to point the domain to us. You do that by changing the name servers at your domain registrar. That change takes up to 72 hours to complete, but if your email records are already set with us you shouldn’t have any downtime regarding email. Worst that will happen is that some people will still see the old site while some will see the new site until the change completes.

    Let me know if you have any questions.

    (Note: it’s not possible to transfer a domain to us, so you will need to keep the domain at the current registrar and just point it to us from them. The mapping upgrade and name server change does that.)

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